NASCAR reboot returns a bit of normalcy to sports

Engines were restarted. Paint was traded. Sponsors were thanked.

The race ran over its alloted TV time.

NASCAR was back Sunday, following a 71-day silence of engines brought on by a turbocharged virus pandemic. At first blush, it may have appeared it never left.

But upon closer inspection, this was no ordinary Sunday drive.

Spectators were absent. Drivers wore medical facemasks before climbing into their cars. Spotters were stationed at safe intervals on top of the empty grandstands (although one TV shot appeared to show them in a bunch).

Only essential personnel and drivers starting in the back of the field were allowed into venerable Darlington Raceway. Brad Keselowski, who started from the pole position, had to make his own lunch: ravioli, two hard-boiled eggs and a toasted bun.

Kevin Harvick won. There were several car lengths of social distance between his car and one driven by second-place finisher Alex Bowman at the checkered flag. Harvick is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in all five races this season. The former series champion led more than half the laps en route to his 50th career win.

Cream rises to the top, even after a 10-week layoff.

Silence is golden

Harvick said it was strange not to hear cheers upon removing his helmet. He still was sporting a grin wider than his rear spoiler. As were many of the drivers who did not perform victory doughnuts.

You could almost see them through their facemasks.

The overnight TV ratings should confirm the casual sports fan enjoyed it, too. Though the race ran long, there still was an hour and a half before the last two episodes of “The Last Dance” aired on ESPN.

“Never, ever have I been happier to watch the race cars,” texted a stick-and-ball friend during the first caution period.

This was exactly the reaction for which NASCAR was hoping.

With a financial structure predicated on television and sponsor revenue, it was almost imperative that NASCAR return to competition before the other major league sports to stave off implosion. But there were concerns the lengthy hiatus — the 84-day off-season was only two weeks longer than the virus shutdown — would result in an off-kilter return.

Those concerns were mostly unfounded. About the only strange occurrences were when Kyle Busch of Las Vegas scraped the wall and tore down a banner and seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, in the final season of a career that heretofore had been brilliant, briefly took the lead.

On the white flag lap, Timmy Hill waved Harvick around his slower car. Hill was one of the stars of the video game series that kept NASCAR front and center and entertained stock car fans during the shutdown. He finished seven laps down in 33rd place.

Timmy Hill’s 15 minutes of fame had lasted 71 days, but now it was over.

Emotional rescue

A couple of Las Vegas NASCAR types not named Busch weighed in after the finish.

“I would give special mention to the opening Fox did,” Las Vegas Motor Speedway President Chris Powell said of the emotional tribute to the virus victims and first responders. “The race was typical Darlington with a few guys hitting that wall as they usually do. It was a lot of fun seeing them back on the racetrack.”

Added longtime NASCAR pit road reporter and Green Valley High graduate Jamie Little: “I thought it was a good race; I thought the battles were good — just enough of the oohs and aahs, like Jimmie Johnson getting up there and wrecking.”

The TV broadcast, of which Little normally would be a part — she’ll be the sole pit road reporter for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte on Sunday — was pretty straightforward. There was less off-the-track fluff than usual.

John Smoltz, A-Rod, Frank Thomas and Urban Meyer talked about the drivers coming back cold turkey without spring training or spring football.

As the second stage was winding down, David Spade wished the drivers well before doing humorous impressions of engine sounds and an in-car interview. A reminder that you could watch the comedian in #TheWrongMissy on Netflix went up on Fox’s NASCAR Twitter account in less time than it took Kevin Harvick to lap Timmy Hill.

It was just another reminder that during unprecedented times such as these, you take normalcy in small doses and wherever you can find it.

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.